


Dead Before Your Stroke Fell

by billys_consulting_flatmates



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternative Universe - Human, Alternative Universe - No Monsters, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-30
Updated: 2016-03-30
Packaged: 2018-05-30 02:32:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6405151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/billys_consulting_flatmates/pseuds/billys_consulting_flatmates
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Whoever would have thought that an unplanned Lord of the Rings marathon and quick trip for pie could change someones life so much but to Deans' surprise that is exactly what happened when a break from the three hunters for a midnight snack led him to meet a blue eyed man in the hallway of his apartment building. What follows may just be the best night of Deans life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dead Before Your Stroke Fell

It started just as Legolas decided that a shield would be a great surfboard and went flying down a staircase, firing arrows down upon the approaching orcs. Dean tried to ignore it but his stomach continued to grumble and, finally, he groaned and gave in.

A quick glance to the clock on his right showed that it was almost two in the morning but he still paused the movie and shut off the tv. The convenience store just down the road would be still open and even better, they’d have pie.

Dean leapt to his feet at this thought and shrugged on his jacket before grabbing his wallet and keys and walking to the door. He pulled his shoes on awkwardly while leaning against the wall and then quickly checked his phone for messages, grinning when he saw Charlie had sent him a photo of her pouting with the caption  _ lotr without me? _ underneath.

He was still smiling when he left his apartment, locking the door behind himself before setting off down the hallway eager for some pie. He turned the corner and stopped, his smile slipping and his eyebrow rising in surprise at the sight that greeted him.

A man was laying on the floor, a blanket pulled over him, his head resting on a single pillow. Dean couldn’t see much from where he stood, only the man’s dark hair which looked like someone had been running their fingers through it.

He cautiously began to move forward and the sound of his footsteps caused the man to jerk slightly but otherwise he didn’t move. Dean slowed down when he neared him which caused the other man’s eyes to open and Dean came to a standstill.

Those eyes.

He had never seen eyes so  _ blue _ before. That shade should not be possible. At all. The other man stared up at Dean, frowning slightly when he merely stared back. Dean shook his head and tried to ignore the odd jump his stomach had done upon catching sight of those eyes.

‘Ah – I – I mean, you alright, man?’ he managed to get out desperately fighting the urge to drop his gaze like a twelve-year-old girl. It was bad enough that he’d stuttered, no need to add to the ridiculous image he was sure he was portraying.

‘I am alright,’ the man said and woah. His voice was deep and rough and sexy as hell. Dean swallowed as he struggled to figure out what to say next.

‘Any reason why you’re sleeping out here?’ he tried, relieved when his voice sounded completely normal. The man blinked up at him before he sat up, the blanket falling to his lap, revealing the worn grey t-shirt he was wearing with a faded Stanford logo on the front. Dean quickly swallowed again.

‘My brother has his girlfriend over so I decided it was prudent for me to leave,’ he said and Dean nodded, completely understanding.

‘Don’t you have somewhere else to stay?’ he asked, forcing his eyes to stay fixed on the man’s face as he straightened and his t-shirt pulled away from his neck, gaping wide and revealing his collar bones.

‘No, I only just moved here and I’m staying with my brother until I find a place of my own,’ he explained and Dean nodded. The man continued to stare up at him and Dean cleared his throat, his thoughts turning to the reason he was even out at this hour before they turned to a completely ridiculous notion.

‘Do you want to crash on my couch?’

Clearly his mouth had no filter tonight as he fought back a wince when the man blinked, his eyebrows rising slightly in surprise.

‘I wouldn’t wish to inconvenience you,’ he replied and Dean hesitated. It was the perfect opportunity to back out now and continue on his way to get some pie but a glance at the man’s pillow and the floor which must be uncomfortable and he knew he couldn’t be an asshole.

‘No problem, at all,’ he insisted and the look of gratitude the man sent him made up for the lack of pie immediately. He had other snacks after all.

The man climbed gracefully to his feet and Dean quickly looked away but not before catching a hint of pale skin showing above the waistband of his pyjamas pants. He led the way back to his flat and was just unlocking his door when a touch to his left shoulder caused Dean to look around at the man.

‘Weren’t you going somewhere?’ he asked and Dean thought regretfully of his pie before his steeling himself and sticking to his plan.

‘Nah, it’s nothing important,’ he said as casually as he could as he let them into his apartment. He realised only after he had closed the door after them that the couch was a mess from where he’d crashed for his marathon.

‘Sorry ’bout the mess. I’ll just clean that up – give me a sec – ah,’ Dean paused and looked back at the man who was still standing by the door with his arms wrapped around his pillow and blanket who Dean had just realised he still didn’t know the name of. ‘Sorry, never got your name out there. I’m Dean Winchester.’

‘Castiel Novak,’ the man said and Dean blinked at the unusual name but it was his last name which caused him to frown.

‘Novak? As in Gabriel Novak?’ he asked thinking of the short blonde dickhead who lived down the hallway from him.

‘Gabriel is my brother,’ Castiel nodded and Dean winced in sympathy.

‘Man, I get why you left the apartment even more,’ he chuckled. To be fair Gabriel probably wasn’t too bad but he was fond of pranking other people and seemed to have taken an interest in annoying Dean as often as possible.

‘I take it you’ve met my brother,’ Castiel said and Dean smiled slightly.

‘Yeah, one could say that. I mean, I guess when someone asks to borrow your milk and ends up swapping your sugar and salt as well as stealing all the chocolate I had in the kitchen, then yes, I do know him,’ he said with a grimace and Castiel smiled slightly causing Dean’s ire to fade completely.

‘I understand,’ he replied. ‘He was worse as a teenager, believe it or not.’

‘Unfortunately, I can believe that,’ Dean said as he picked up the shirt he’d tossed on the couch earlier as well as the now empty glass and plate from his dinner.

‘What were you doing up at two a.m.?’ asked Castiel curiously as Dean threw the shirt through the open doorway into his room on his way to the kitchen.

‘I was having a Lord of the Rings marathon,’ he called back as he deposited the plate and glass in the sink. ‘Was almost at the end of Two Towers. Extended Edition of course,’ he added coming back into the main room before he caught sight of Castiel’s frown as he tilted his head, rather adorably, in confusion.

Dean forced himself to focus on the implications behind Castiel’s confusion rather than on the motion with how he portrayed it or his own reaction to it. Adorably? Really?

‘You do know Lord of the Rings, right?’ he asked and couldn’t stop the scandalized expression from forming when Castiel shook his head. ‘Oh that’s not right. At all,’ Dean said with such horror he knew Charlie would be proud.

‘I’m not well versed in popular culture,’ he admitted slowly as if unsure he was using the correct language. Dean stared at him for a moment before he came to a necessary decision.

‘Right, that’s it. You don’t have anything on tomorrow?’ he asked quickly and when Castiel responded in the negative Dean moved over to his tv and switched it on and swapped out Two Towers for the first part of Fellowship. ‘Screw sleep. We’re fixing this right now. No arguments,’ he added when he caught sight of Castiel’s wary expression.

‘If you insist,’ he said cautiously before slowly moving forward to the couch.

‘You can sit down,’ Dean smiled slightly and gestured to the now clear couch before moving into the kitchen. He rummaged around in the pantry for a moment before he located a bag of chips and headed back out to the sitting room where he found Castiel sitting stiffly on the couch.

Dean shook his head and smiled as he made his way over to sit beside Castiel. He opened the bag before putting it down between them and then hit play as he leant back into the couch.

He quickly found himself watching Castiel more than the movie, noting his responses, or in this case the lack thereof. The guy had a great poker face, Dean had to admit as he munched on chips. He pushed the bag in Castiel’s direction and the man looked at him for a moment, his eyes almost glowing in the light of the tv, before he took a handful. Dean’s heart was surely going too fast for just sitting on the couch.

Castiel slowly relaxed and sank back into the couch next to Dean and by the time the Council of Lord Elrond was taking place he was slumped beside him, their shoulders not quite touching but Dean could feel the warmth emanating off of Castiel. His face seemed more open now and he smiled when the hobbits began popping up out of nowhere.

Castiel frowned when the disc ended and seemed confused when Dean climbed to his feet to take out the disc.

‘Is that it?’ he asked and Dean chuckled as he glanced over his shoulder at Castiel.

‘Course not,’ he grinned. ‘That Cas, is only the beginning.’ Dean almost hit himself when he realised what he’d done but if Castiel was bothered by the nickname he didn’t say anything.

Dean settled back down next to him and was pleasantly surprised when Castiel shifted just enough so that their shoulders were now touching.

Castiel remained silent as the movie continued to play and Dean was reluctant to speak. He was remarkably content to watch the movie and look out for Castiel’s reactions to it in silence.

It wasn’t until Moria that Dean heard anything from Castiel. He didn’t believe it at first but when he turned to look there was Cas smiling, that quiet huff now confirmed to be a laugh as Cas watched Gandalf stare at a sheepish Pippin and Dean grinned.

‘Typical Pippin,’ he commented quietly and Castiel turned to him and smiled. Dean quickly refocused on the screen and tried to ignore the weird jump his stomach had just done.

‘It does seem that he’s the trouble maker,’ Castiel said softly and Dean smiled slightly as the Fellowship readied themselves for an attack.

From then on it seemed Cas had relaxed in Dean’s presence and he began to show his thoughts far more. He smiled when he saw Sam’s frying pan, groaned in sympathy when Frodo went down and a sharp intake of breath when the balrog appeared.

‘No,’ he said sharply when Gandalf fell and Dean winced as well. He turned to find Cas’ wide eyes staring at the screen in what could only be described as horror.

‘You okay?’ he asked cautiously, his lips twitching slightly as Cas turned to glare at him.

‘Why would you make me watch this?’

‘It’s a great story,’ Dean insisted but he wasn’t sure how effective it was because he was grinning as Cas continued to glare before turning back to the tv.

Cas became quiet once more after that but Dean could tell it was due to undivided concentration on the movie as his blue eyes never left the screen. Dean’s concentration on the other hand was slipping and he found himself watching Cas out of the corner of his eyes more and more. He watched, with a growing warmth in his chest, Cas’ sadness as the Fellowship mourned, his worry at the mirror scene and his smile at Gimli and Legolas’ discussion of the three hairs.

By the time the Fellowship pulled their boats onto the banks of the Anduin Dean had given up on lying to himself and was now just watching Cas out of the corner of his eye, the movie all but forgotten.

Cas didn’t seem aware of this, his eyes tracking the movements of the characters, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was now leaning against Dean, a steady source of warmth from where his shoulder was pressed against Deans.

When Cas groaned Dean was confused, glad that the room was dark enough that it hid the sudden flush in his cheeks. He blinked and stared at the screen for a moment before the scene unfolding before them started to make sense in Deans mind. He grimaced when he saw Boromir calling out for Frodo before looking around as Cas shifted against him to see the other man was frowning.

‘I really don’t like that ring,’ he said bluntly and Dean almost smiled before he remembered what was coming next.

‘No one does,’ he said, his eyes noting the crease between Cas’ eyebrows and how his nose was scrunched slightly. He tore his gaze away and fought against the urge to clear his throat once more.

Dean bit back a smile as Cas tensed up when Aragorn was shown the ring and he didn’t complain at all when Cas relaxed and ended up slumping against him.

When Enya’s voice swept over them and the credit were rolling on the screen Dean turned to Cas to find him already looking at him. He could feel a blush rise to his cheeks and hoped it wasn’t obvious in this half-light.

‘What’s the verdict?’ he asked, his voice sounding only slightly rougher than he would have liked. Cas tilted his head slightly, his cheek brushing Dean’s shoulder before he answered.

‘I hope you don’t intend to leave me hanging with that,’ he said dryly and Dean chuckled before getting to his feet, his side instantly chillier without Cas’ warmth.

‘Course not,’ he grinned. ‘But first, I need coffee if I’m going to continue. You want one?’

Cas nodded in agreement before stretching, his arms going over his head causing his t-shirt to ride up an inch or so, revealing a thin strip of pale skin and Dean felt his face burn before he turned away to hurry into the relative safety of the kitchen.

He flicked on the kettle and grabbed two mugs before clearing his throat as quietly as he could and calling back out to Cas.

‘How do you take yours?’

‘Two sugars and milk,’ came the answer, his gravelly voice sounding even rougher than usual and Dean couldn’t concentrate on the words or the coffee for a moment. When the words did register he grimaced but obediently put the disgusting amount of sugar in.

‘You can put the next one on,’ he called out as the kettle clicked off. ‘Two Towers.’

There was no answer but he could hear Cas stand and then the tell-tale click of a disc being put back in its case. He carried the two mugs out just as Cas was settling back down on the sofa and Dean quickly joined him, neither one saying anything when they ended up sitting closer than before, with Deans’ hip pressed into Cas’, warmth instead washing over Dean as he sank back, Cas a solid line against his side.

He passed Cas’ coffee to him just as the menu came up onto the screen and he hit play quickly, noticing the anticipation which lit up Cas’ face.

Dean drank half of his coffee in a handful of seconds as the movie began to play, a glance at the clock informing him it was very late. Or should that be very early? If he wanted to stay up much longer he was going to need the caffeine and he really did want to stay up. It may have just been Lord of the Rings, a series he had seen at least a dozen times in a similar setting and there may not have been a heap of talking going on but Dean was happy. He was thrilled that Cas seemed to like the movies if his eager expression was anything to go by and while he didn’t say a lot, Dean still found his company to be more than just pleasing. His expression said enough most of the time that words were unnecessary and Dean was loath to break the comfortable silence between them. He had never had this with anyone really. There always seemed to be an expectation of chatter to fill silences lest it get awkward. Even Charlie and Sam liked to talk a lot.

But Cas was different. He seemed to be content to just sit there, pressed up against Dean and watch a movie he’d never heard of.

Dean didn’t even bother to hide his grin as they watched opening title appear on the screen above two little hobbits.

Cas slowly sipped at his coffee during the movie and once he was done Dean took a hold of it to put with his own on the ground, their fingers brushing and Deans’ cheeks once again heating up. He doubted he’d ever blushed this much before in his life and he was eternally grateful Sam and Charlie weren’t here to witness it. They’d never have let him live it down.

As soon as he had resettled Cas leant his head against Dean’s shoulder, his dark hair tickling Deans chin. He paused, unwilling to move in case he dislodged Cas and that was the last thing he wanted. Instead he cleared his throat and with quiet amusement filling his voice, he broke the silence.

‘I hope you’re not falling asleep on me.’

Cas shook his head, his cheek rubbing Deans’ shoulder as he did so, his hair brushing lightly against Deans’ chin.

‘No, I just find you comfortable.’

Dean had no idea what to say to that, his mind completely blank and so he settled for silence, his jaw clenched tightly lest something stupid slipped out ruined everything. His gaze almost clung to the screen in front of him though his mind refused to cooperate.

Half an hour passed in this fashion with Cas sitting pressed against Dean, his legs curled up on the couch beside him, his head resting on Dean’s shoulder. Dean attempted to pay attention to the movie but no matter how much he loved Lord of the Rings he had no idea what was happening on screen, so focused was he on the warmth of Cas’ cheek and leg, on how Cas’ hair lightly brushed against his chin, on Cas’ breathing just below Dean’s ear.

It was only because of this focus that he realised that Cas had fallen asleep, his breathing evened out, deep and slow. He hesitated, unwilling to disturb Cas and finally decided just to let him be. He tried to ignore the fact that he’d slouched a bit so he was pressed more firmly against Cas’ side, his head now resting against Cas’, his dark hair soft beneath Dean’s cheek.

The next thing Dean knew was that he was laying on his back and, despite how uncomfortable the couch could be, he was warm and content. He opened his eyes enough to just reveal the sunlight which had snuck past the curtains into the room and that the menu was open on the tv.

He groaned, wondering what the time was as he rubbed at his face. He froze almost immediately when somebody else groaned in response to his movement. Dean’s eyes widened when he registered the warm weight laying on top of him as a person. That person had an arm wrapped around Dean, their fingers curled into Dean’s top while their leg was thrown across his, keeping him in place. Their head rested just below Dean’s chin, their hair brushing lightly against his skin with each breath, just enough to tickle.

He screwed his eyes shut, memories of last night slowly filtering back into his mind. His eyes snapped open as soon as he realised who was curled up against him.

He stared up at the ceiling, bright white in the sunshine, and tried to control his breathing, his chest suddenly tight. His entire body went stiff, his mind scrambling to figure out what to do next. The last thing he could remember was trying to focus on the tv. He must have drifted off and slumped over at some point.

A muffled grumble broke him out of his thoughts and he shifted unconsciously as Cas clutched tighter at him, his face turning to press into Dean’s throat where he nuzzled him sleepily. Dean was sure his lungs were screaming at him breathe but he found himself incapable of doing so, focusing instead on Cas’ warm breath against his neck and his nose rubbing against Dean’s skin.

He held himself still, afraid that if he moved Cas would wake up and he had no idea of how to handle that situation. He could barely wrap his head around the fact that he’d slept with Cas cuddled up against him. And it certainly didn’t help that his brain kept informing him on how soft Cas’ hair was against his skin or how warm he was against Dean.

In the end it didn’t matter that Dean didn’t move. Not even ten minutes later Cas’ grip on him tightened and he rumbled as he rubbed his face against Dean’s shoulder before he froze. Dean bit back a sigh but remained where he was, waiting for Cas to make the first move.

Cas slowly lifted his head and glanced down at Deans face and Dean felt as if he’d been punched. Cas’ hair was sleep-mussed, even messier than when he had found him in the hallway. Now it looked like he’d been thoroughly fucked and Dean swallowed harshly as he fought to keep his hands to himself. His mouth was open slightly, his cheek had red lines from the creases of Deans top and his eyes...

Deans mouth went dry at the sight of those eyes staring at him from only a scant few inches away. Widened with shock but still holding remnants of sleepiness, Cas’ eyes were hypnotising, painfully blue in the morning light. Dean could only lay there and stare up at him while his heart thrashed against his ribcage.

It was silent between them as they stared at one another, Dean unsure of what to say but then Cas closed his mouth before opening it again to speak.

‘Hello Dean.’

Dean couldn’t have stopped the smile that crossed his face or the laugh that slipped free even if he had wanted to. His heart was still beating faster than normal, he had no idea what time it was, his left arm was numb and a gorgeous guy was basically laying on top of him, his arm and leg still across Deans body. But none of that seemed to matter too much when Cas’ lips quirked up into a small smile as he looked down at Dean.

‘Morning,’ he managed to croak out and Cas’ smile widened. Neither moved however, despite the fact that it would quickly become socially unacceptable for them to remain in the position they’d found themselves in. Cas seemed content to remain where he was, hovering over Dean and just watching his face. Dean truthfully didn’t want to move, comfortable as he was underneath Cas but he figured that if they didn’t move soon there was a high chance his body’s interest would become more obvious than just a quickened heartbeat.

‘What’s the time?’ he mumbled, desperate now for some space between them and he found himself suddenly able to breathe as Cas sat up, looking around for a clock. Though Dean was able to breathe easier in this new position without Cas’ face inches from his own it still wasn’t enough space. Cas was now straddling Deans thighs, his hand braced on Deans chest and Deans traitorous mind instantly provided him with heated imagery. It didn’t help that Cas’ dark hair was begging for Dean to run his hands through it or that the front of his top had pulled away from his neck, revealing his collarbones and Dean swallowed before he quickly averted his eyes.

Cas lent forward a fraction as he spotted the clock in the kitchen and Dean gritted his teeth at the sudden extra weight further up his thighs then he’d expected, a spike of heat shooting down his spine.

‘It’s just passed eleven,’ he mumbled as he dragged a hand through his which made it stand up even  more. ‘May I use your bathroom?’

Dean blinked at Cas blankly before the words actually made sense. ‘Uh, yeah – sure. Just through that door there,’ he gestured with one hand in the vague direction of the bathroom.

‘Thank you,’ was all Cas said before he swung off Dean in one graceful movement, his hand brushing down Dean chest for a moment before he was gone, the bathroom door closing quietly behind him.

Dean groaned before scrubbing a hand over his face and climbing off the couch. He picked up their mugs from the night before and headed into the kitchen. It was later than he’d thought and his stomach growled as he opened the fridge. He had no idea what Cas ate but eggs and bacon seemed the way to go.

He was flipping the bacon when he heard the soft tread of footsteps behind him, so quiet he almost missed it. He glanced over his shoulder and found Cas standing by the small kitchen table, his hair neater than it had been but still slightly messy. Dean wondered if it was just naturally like that before he quickly turned back to the frying pan.

‘Hope you’re hungry, breakfast is almost ready,’ he announced.

‘You didn’t have to, Dean,’ Cas said softly, still standing there awkwardly.

‘Sit, dude,’ Dean said. ‘And it’s no problem.’ He tipped the bacon and eggs onto two plates and tried to ignore the fact that he was stalling Cas.

‘Gabriel may wonder where I am,’ Cas said as he sat down and Dean hesitated after he put a plate down in front of him as his brain scrambled for a way to delay Cas’ departure.

‘It’s Gabriel,’ he said as he out his own plate down and turned away to grab two fresh mugs for coffee. ‘If his girl is still there I doubt he’ll notice you’re gone.’

He turned back to put the mugs down on the table and caught sight of Cas’ small smile.

‘That’s true,’ was all he said but his eyes were warm and crinkled at the corners as he watched Dean. Dean broke the awkward silence by turning his attention to his food while blood rose traitorously to his cheeks. Cas didn’t say anymore after that as he too tucked into his breakfast with enthusiasm which pleased Dean.

It was only once they’d both finished and were sipping at their coffees that Dean sought after a conversation topic after a glance at the clock informed him of the fast approaching afternoon.

‘So, where were you before you moved in with Gabriel?’ he asked and Cas turned to him. ‘You said last night you’d just moved here.’

‘I was in California at Stanford,’ he replied after a pause and Dean relaxed and quickly grasped tightly at the conversation.

‘Stanford, huh? My little brother’s studying law there,’ he said, pride colouring his words which he didn’t even try to tamp down on.

‘You must be proud of him,’ Cas noted with a small smile and Dean nodded eagerly.

‘Oh yeah, he’s worked hard,’ he grinned and Cas’ smile widened slightly. ‘What did you study?’

‘Theology with a minor in English Literature,’ he said and Dean sat and stared at him silently for a moment. ‘What is it?’

‘Nothing,’ Dean said slowly, reeling from the realisation that Cas must be as smart as Sam. Well, of course he is if he went to Stanford, Dean told himself. ‘How did you study literature and not know Lord of the Rings?’

‘It wasn’t on my syllabus,’ Cas shrugged and Dean chuckled.

‘Theology, huh,’ he commented and Cas quirked his head slightly to the side in a manner that was definitely  _ not _ adorable. ‘Religious then?’

‘My family is very religious,’ Cas nodded. ‘It fascinated me so I decided to continue to study it.’

‘Your whole family is religious?’ Dean asked, his eyebrow raised and Cas nodded. ‘I would never have guessed with Gabriel.’

‘No, Gabriel decided it wasn’t for him,’ Cas explained and Dean nodded.

‘Though I suppose that does explain the names,’ Dean said a smile and Cas smiled ruefully and nodded.

‘Yes, Castiel is the angel of Thursday and Gabriel, also an angel, is a messenger of God who informed the Virgin Mary she was carrying Jesus Christ,’ he explained. ‘None of us escaped it.’

‘You have more siblings?’ Dean asked, pausing before taking a sip of coffee.

‘A couple. Michael is my eldest sibling and is named after an archangel, arguably called the archangel, of which there are seven including Gabriel,’ Cas explained, putting his mug down as he began to tick his family members off on his hand. ‘Uriel is named after the angel known as the fourth archangel in Gnostics and there’s Anael, also known as Haniel in Jewish lore, who is included as one of the seven archangels.’

‘Wow,’ Dean said, staring at Cas with his mouth open slightly. ‘Really religious.’

‘Not just my father but my uncle too,’ Cas said with a small smile. ‘Zachariah is an angel of judgement, Ambriel an angel associated with the zodiac symbol Gemini and Balthazar another angel warrior. ‘

‘Those are awful names,’ Dean blurted out without thinking. ‘I mean –’

‘No, I understand,’ Cas nodded, his gaze glued to his mug on the table. ‘It made life difficult at times.’

‘I bet it did,’ Dean leant back in his chair, keeping his own gaze on Cas, unable to look away. ‘Balthazar. That’s just terrible. I’m so glad Sam and I got such normal names.’

‘Sam is your brother?’ Cas queried, those blue eyes lifting to settle on Deans face. Dean nodded as he busied himself with finishing off his coffee.

‘Yep, four years  younger and on his way to being a lawyer.’

‘What is your job?’ Cas asked and Dean suddenly shifted awkwardly in his chair. Compared to Sam’s career goals and Cas’ probably academically challenging job his own seemed rather pathetic no matter how much he loved it.

‘Uh, I’m a mechanic – more into restoration but I do both,’ he said, fidgeting with his mug, his eyes now on the table.

‘It must be interesting,’ Cas said and Dean jerked his head up to see Cas looking at him with genuine curiosity  and absolutely none of the derision he was used to seeing.

‘Yeah it is,’ he mumbled under Cas’ intense gaze. ‘Meet a lot of different people.’

‘You would in that career,’ Cas nodded and Dean blinked. No one had ever called his job a career before, as if it was somehow noteworthy. ‘Your own car must be in good condition.’

‘You bet she is,’ Dean said, a smile instantly taking over his face without his permission . ‘She deserves the very best. She was completely wrecked by a truck once and I pulled her apart and put her back together.’

‘That’s incredible,’ Cas smiled as he leant forward slightly, his eyes fixed on Deans face, staring intently at him and Dean could feel his cheeks warm under the praise and stare.

‘Pretty useful,’ he admitted. ‘Keeps her going. She’s a ’67 Chevy Impala,’ he added proudly, a chuckle escaping him when Cas just stared at him blankly. ‘Guess cars weren’t on your syllabus either.’

‘No, they weren’t,’ Cas deadpanned and Dean grinned.

‘So what does a Theology and Lit student do?’ he asked, leaning forward with his arms resting on the table.

‘I’ve just been signed on to teach theology at the University of Sioux Falls,’ Cas replied and Dean whistled.

‘Impressive and brave,’ he said with a smile to which Cas responded with one of his own.

‘I enjoy teaching. I used to be a tutor at Stanford,’ he explained.

‘Well if you enjoy it I suppose that’s what matters,’ Dean said gruffly and Cas smiled warmly at him, his eyes crinkling at the corners and Deans chest tightened.

They sat like that, leaning forward, gazes trained on one another, a small smile on Cas’ face and a dopey one on his own. The comfortable silence edged by an undefinable warmth was shattered when Deans phone started blaring Led Zeppelin from the lounge room.

‘Hang on,’ he muttered distractedly as he pulled away from the table and hurried into the lounge room. He located his phone lying face down on the floor.

‘Hello?’

‘Hey, Dean,’ Sam’s voice rang in Deans ear and he smiled as he turned to face the kitchen to find Cas watching him curiously. He mouthed  _ my brother _ to him and Cas nodded.

‘So I was thinking of dropping around for dinner,’ Sam said and Dean glanced at the clock which read twelve-forty and then at Cas who was watching him with a slight smile on his face. ‘Round four good?’

‘Four? Yeah that’s good with me,’ Dean said, slight disappointment uncurling within his stomach when Cas’ smile dimmed and he glanced up at the clock. It was Sammy though and he only had a few weeks left until he went back to Stanford. ‘You bring the pizza and I’ll supply the beer.’

‘Sounds good, Dean,’ Sam sounded as if he was smiling and Dean smiled in turn. ‘See you then.’

‘Bye,’ he managed to say before Sam hung up. He turned to see Cas had moved and was now rinsing out their mugs and plates at the sink.

‘You don’t need to do that,’ Dean tried to insist but Cas waved him off.

‘You made me breakfast and gave me a place to sleep,’ he seemed to hesitate before continuing, his gaze sliding shyly over to Dean. ‘A much more comfortable place than the hall floor.’

Dean felt himself blush but couldn’t bring himself to care much when he caught sight of Cas’ small smile. His own lips responded and soon they found themselves standing in his kitchen in the clothes they’d slept in smiling at one another. Cas was the one to finally break the silence but when he did Dean wished he hadn’t. 

‘I suppose I should leave soon,’ he commented and both of their smiles fell. ‘Do you need a hand cleaning?’

‘Nah, it’s fine,’ Dean said with a shrug but Cas was already shaking his head.

‘I insist,’ he replied and moved towards Dean with a look of such determination on his face Dean was sure he was about to be kissed. Instead of kissing him however, Cas side-stepped around him and moved to the couch. Dean tried to ignore the disappointment which rose in him and he followed Cas  back to the scene of the crime. 

The first thing he realised was that the screen was still on, the ethereal theme song playing quietly enough that he hadn’t noticed. He decided it was Cas’ fault for being so distracting and set about taking the dvd out and replacing it on the shelf. Cas had found the empty chip packet in the meantime and disposed of it. Dean looked up as he was entering the lounge and his chest tightened horribly and his throat clogged up. He was hit with sudden realisation that he didn’t want Cas to leave. That he just wanted to go to where he was standing surveying the couch and wrap his arms around him and hold him tight to Deans’ chest, breathe him in.

He quickly looked around the room, desperate to find some task to delay the inevitable but found that the room had been returned to its previous state. Cas appeared to have come to the same conclusion and stood in the middle of the room staring at the couch. They remained silent, neither one really knowing what to say.

Cas finally turned around and stared at Dean, his gaze zeroing in on his eyes and while Dean found he couldn’t maintain eye contact, he could feel Cas continuing to watch him from across the room.

‘I should head back to Gabriel’s,’ Cas finally said, his voice low but still managing to sound loud in the silence of the flat.

‘Right, yeah,’ Dean nodded, his gaze still fixed on an old stain on the carpet. He heard Cas sigh before he moved to pick up his blanket and pillow and then the soft tread of socked feet on carpet. Shoes on and then out the door and out of Deans life as quickly as he’d entered. He swallowed down the odd constricting feeling in his throat and forced himself to move over to the door and look up.

He found Cas standing by the door, watching Dean, his shoes still sitting against the wall. Dean hesitated before steeling his nerves and striding over to him with a smile on his face. Despite his best efforts though he could tell it wasn’t as cocky as he had been aiming for.

‘Dean,’ Cas said softly and Dean felt his already weak smile slip. His throat seemed to become clogged and his mind emptied of all thoughts except for the word  _ stay. _

Cas watched him silently, seeming to be as clueless as Dean as to what to say next. The clock was ticking behind Dean and he knew he needed to shower and clean and actually go and buy beer and pie and probably a few other things as he’d been meaning to go for a supply run for a while now. But at that moment he didn’t care about any of that. He just wanted Cas to stay so they could keep talking and maybe, maybe more. Or even just watch another movie or finish-

‘You’ll have to come back,’ he blurted out without thinking and Cas blinked, his eyes widening slightly and Dean cursed himself. ‘We didn’t finish our Lord of the Rings marathon,’ he quickly explained and he only felt himself relax when Cas smiled at him.

‘Of course, Dean,’ he replied, his eyes warm and Dean felt his blood rush to his cheeks and he cleared his throat.

‘Yeah, well whenever you’re free,’ he glanced away from Cas, unable to keep looking at those blue eyes. ‘Next weekend?’

‘That works for me,’ he said and Dean nodded. 

‘Cool, anytime on Saturday.’

‘I won’t come too early,’ Cas said and Dean huffed out a laugh.

‘Good idea,’ he smiled, glancing quickly at Cas before looking away again. He heard Cas pull his shoes on and he took a breath before turning back to Cas only to freeze when he realised Cas had moved forward.

‘I will see you on Saturday, Dean,’ he said, his voice low and his eyes staring steadily at Deans. Dean felt like he couldn’t move, his gaze fixed on Cas. He was standing so close and Dean thought for a second of personal space before that fled from his mind leaving it blank. Before he could think of anything to say or even force himself to take a step back, Cas had leaned forward, his blue eyes scorching in their intensity, his breath ghosting over Deans face.

The sudden warmth of dry lips pressed against his own caused a sudden bolt of heat down Deans spine, startling him before he registered what was happening. Cas’ eyes were still open even as he moved his lips gently against Deans frozen ones before he began to pull away, a frown creasing his forehead.

It was that frown which kicked Dean into action and caused him to lean forward and catch Cas’ mouth with his own. The sudden shift caused Cas to stumble backward until his back hit the door. He groaned whether from pain or pleasure Dean wasn’t sure but his eyes slid shut and his lips parted, allowing Dean to lick into his mouth. Dean couldn’t keep his hands still as stroked at Cas’ tongue with his own. One hand ran up the length of Cas’ back, the other gripped his hip tightly. Dean let his fingers slip into Cas’ hair and moaned at the soft, silky touch.

Cas didn’t seem to know what to do with his hands either, both of them coming up to lightly hold Deans waist, though Dean quickly fixed this when he sucked on Cas’ bottom lip, drawing it into his mouth and nipped at it lightly before soothing it with his tongue. Cas groaned under the onslaught and his hands came up, one around the back of Dean neck, his fingers scratching at Deans scalp, while the other clutched at Deans left shoulder, his grip strong enough to leave a mark.

Dean crowded in closer, pressing Cas firmly into the door, his own body following and fitting itself against Cas. Cas tried to pull Dean closer, growling in the back of his throat when Deans leg slotted between his own, bringing them flush together and Dean panted against Cas’ mouth.

‘Cas,’ he couldn’t find the air to say anything else, his nose nudging at Cas’ throat and down his cheek and throat before he licked up from the base of Cas’ neck, along his jawline and to his ear which he bit down on softly. Cas whimpered and tightened his grip on Dean.

Dean pulled back, resting his forehead against Cas’ shoulder while he caught his breath and Cas ran one hand up and down Deans back, pressing kisses against the top of Deans head as he did so.

‘I should probably go,’ Cas whispered and Dean groaned, pressing his face more firmly against Cas’ throat, his lips soft on Cas’ skin.

‘Why?’

‘You’re brother is coming for dinner and my brother will probably be wondering where I am,’ he said, his arms sliding down to rest loosely around Deans waist.

‘I hate your logic,’ he grumbled before, with one final kiss to Cas’ neck, he pulled away to look up at Cas, though what he saw certainly didn’t help his self-control. Cas’ hair was all over the place from where Dean's fingers are raked through it, his lips kiss-swollen, his cheeks flushed and his eyes dark. Dean bit his lip and took a deep breath to stop himself from leaning back in and from the way Cas’ eyes had slid down to stare at Dean's mouth he figured he wasn’t the only one struggling.

‘I suppose you should go,’ he said and Cas blinked before looking up at him before he nodded.

‘Yes, of course,’ he said firmly before he pulled his arms away from Dean who instantly missed his warmth as they pulled apart completely.

‘Wait a moment,’ Dean blurted out before hurrying back into the kitchen. He rummaged around in three drawers before he found what he was looking for and almost ran back to the door. He grabbed Cas’ hand and quickly scrawled his number onto his skin with the black pen. ‘Call. I mean, if you have time that is. And – maybe, if you’re not busy during the – ah – week, we could catch up before Saturday.’ He winced after he’d managed to spit it all out but to his relief Cas was smiling softly at him.

‘I would love that, Dean,’ he replied and Dean grinned at him.

‘Good, that’s good,’ he said and Cas nodded. Dean couldn’t stop himself from smiling and Cas didn’t seem to want to move either, both of them just standing there and smiling. Eventually Cas broke the silence as he moved to open the door behind him.

‘I’ll call you during the week,’ Cas said and Dean nodded and took a step forward, following Cas to the door. They both stood in the doorway, neither really wanting to part. Cas finally darted forward, his lips brushing gently against Dean’s once more. They were gone before Dean could really register that they had been there at all though his lips still turned up at their corners into a smile.

‘See ya, Cas,’ he said and Cas smiled before turning and walking down the hallway. Dean remained in the doorway watching him until he turned the corner and vanished from sight.

He sighed and went back into his apartment, the door shutting quietly behind him. He returned the pen to the kitchen before deciding he was in need of a shower and made his way to his room. His phone pinged from the couch but Dean ignored it, figuring it was just Sam asking which pizzas he should get or some other inane question.

The hot water helped wake him up and clear his head of the fuzz that seemed to have filled it since Cas kissed him. He smiled at the memory before shaking his head and focusing on getting clean. 

It wasn’t until Dean was dressed for the day and back in the lounge room that he remembered his phone. He bent down to retrieve it before making his way to the kitchen for another cup of coffee, the screen lighting up to reveal a new message from an unknown number.

He quickly opened it and promptly froze in the middle of the kitchen, his gaze glued to the screen, a startling mix of shock and joy coursing through his veins.

_ I already regret my leaving of your apartment. It appears Gabriel attempted to bake something with chocolate and gave up part-way - Castiel _

Dean felt a grin break across his face and he leant up against the bench as he hastened to reply. His fingers hesitated over the buttons before he began typing out a response, his smile growing as the letters appeared on screen.

_ I can imagine. I’m also guessing he’s asleep and leaving it to you. _

Dean forced himself to put his phone down while he flicked the coffee pot on and grabbed his mug from earlier. His phone pinged with an incoming message and Dean almost dropped it in his haste to pick it up.

_ It’s like you know him or something. I’m seriously tempted to head back to yours. _

Dean didn’t bother trying to even control his grin, instead allowing it to take over his face completely.

_ The front doors unlocked if you want. _

_ Aren’t you busy? _

_ No. Need to get beer later tho. _

Dean’s phone stayed on that message for awhile before dimming and finally going dark with the lack of action. Dean fought back against the disappointment rising in his chest and turned to pour the coffee. Cas was probably busy cleaning up the kitchen or making Gabriel do it, or a hundred other things. He probably wasn’t that eager to see Dean again - certainly not when they’d only parted less than an hour ago.

The sudden knock on his front door caused Dean’s head to snap up and he stood, frozen in the kitchen, his heart leaping against his ribcage. It couldn’t be -

He strode across the room, barely stopping himself from running and flung open the door to find Cas standing there, an almost sheepish expression on his face. He was no longer wearing his nightclothes but a pair of black pants and a simple white button up top.

Dean could only stare at him in shock for a moment before a smile started tugging at his lips.

‘The kitchen was that bad, huh?’

Cas smiled, his expression clearing and his eyes warmed, crinkling at the edges and Dean’s stomach tightened.

‘Apocalyptic,’ he deadpanned and Dean laughed, stepping aside to let Cas in. 

‘I was just making coffee,’ he said. ‘Did you want some?’

‘Yes, thank you,’ Cas said as he kicked off his shoes which looked as if they hadn’t been tied up at all and followed Dean into the kitchen.

Dean filled another mug and added sugar and milk before turning to hand it to Cas. He was standing closer than Dean had expected and something twisted in him when he met Cas’ eyes.

‘Thank you, Dean,’ was all he said, his voice low and Dean blinked before scrambling to respond.

‘No problem,’ he mumbled and Cas smiled at him again.

‘You didn’t have any plans?’ Cas asked before taking a sip of his disgustingly sweet coffee and Dean shook his head, watching as Cas’ tongue darted out to lick away the smudge of coffee at the corner of his mouth.

‘Ah - no, no I didn’t,’ he choked out before he cleared his throat. ‘I need to head out a bit later to get the beer but other than that I’m free.’

‘I’m afraid I missed most of the second movie last night,’ Cas admitted and Dean grinned.

‘We should probably fix that then,’ he said as he led the way back to the lounge room. He flicked the tv on and grabbed the dvd off the shelf. ‘What was the last thing you remember?’

‘Legolas had just threatened the horseman after he threatened Gimli,’ Cas said as he sat down on the couch. Dean nodded and quickly took his seat beside him just as the opening music began. He skipped forward and then settled down, Cas shifting beside him until he was pressed into Dean’s side. After a moment of hesitation Dean extricated his arm and wrapped it around Cas’ shoulders, encouraging him to move closer which he happily did. Dean smiled as he watched the riders of Rohan circle the three hunters, his arm tightening around Cas. Cas turned his head and brushed his lips lightly against Dean’s jaw before turning back to the movie. 

Dean continued smiling for the rest of the afternoon.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did writing it. Something that was only supposed to be 2000 words maximum somehow got away from me but I'm so grateful it did.
> 
> If you're interested you can find me on tumblr at billys-consulting-flatmates where I tend to cry over Cas quite a bit.


End file.
